The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
No matter how diligently a person takes care of his or her dental health at home, harmful bacteria growing in the mouth may be removed only by a dental professional. Bacterial infections of gums and teeth lead to a variety of conditions and diseases such as dental plaque, tartar, cavities, gingivitis, tooth decay and periodontitis. Therefore, professional dental care is essential. For example, it is recommended that a person visits a dental professional every six months for at least a checkup and prophylactic teeth cleaning. However, visits to a dental professional are usually less than pleasant. Most visits can even be worrisome, fearful and painful experiences because of procedures like drilling, filling, removal or amputation and reconstruction.
Over the last decade, ozone therapy has been an emerging alternative, atraumatic therapeutic modality in medicine and dentistry. Ozone, which is a tri-atomic oxygen particle (O3), is negatively charged and a natural oxidizing agent. Bad cells in our bodies such as bacteria, viruses and cancer cells typically carry positive charges and no anti-oxidants on their cell membranes, therefore attracting ozone particles that will perforate them and destroy them. In dentistry, a burst of liquefied ozone (ozonated water) or ozone gas is delivered to the teeth and gums in a treatment procedure that usually lasts no longer than 30 minutes.
Ozone can be used to help treat periodontal diseases by using ozonated water flushed below the gum line and or/or ozone gas infiltrated into the gum tissues and supporting tissues. Ozone is also used in both liquefied and gaseous forms during root canal treatment to kill bacteria, sterilize the canal system and to stimulate healing. As a gas, ozone can get to places on the oral cavity that liquids cannot access. This is because gas can permeate the tiny tubules that cannot otherwise be accessed, thereby providing a truly sterile, bacteria-free root canal system before sealing the canals.
Ozone can also be used to kill decay-causing bacteria. Since ozone is a gas, it can permeate into areas below the gum line, into the grooves of teeth and over the smooth surfaces of the teeth and will kill bacteria upon contact. If the decayed area or cavity is not too deep, then no restoration may be needed at all. If the area of decay is deeply cavitated and the bacteria is killed, then filling can be placed often times with no need for numbing. As ozone acts to recalcify tooth structure, areas of the tooth that have been treated with ozone are stronger than what was there before.
Additionally, for the same reason that ozone can harden compromised tooth structure, flooding a sensitive area or tooth with ozone gas can effectively eliminate sensitivity issues.
In contrast with traditional anti-bacterial treatments such as antibiotics and disinfectants, ozone therapy is relatively economical. Ozone is created by simply passing medical-grade pure oxygen through a corona discharge or ultraviolet generator.
Contraindications to ozone therapy are few and they include pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, severe anemia, severe myasthenia and active hemorrhage. Ozone allergy is very rare as it is high improbable that a person should be allergic to oxygen.
Yet, there exist some concerns about the safety of ozone therapy, especially inhalation of ozone and subsequently, blood ozonation. It is well established that due to its strong oxidizing properties, ozone, when inhaled, reacts with compounds in tissue linings of the lungs and triggers a cascade of pathological effects.
Accordingly, a need remains for devices, apparatuses and systems that provide ozone therapy to dental patients that is not only minimally invasive, but also has parameters such as therapeutic concentrations of ozone and modes of administration that are safe and well-defined.